Aside from the difference in stature, the two — one living, one dead — bore faces that were utterly identical.
"Should I call you Sect Master Wan, or Six Paths Devil Sovereign?" Han Li's eyes flickered as his expression grew solemn.
"So you've figured out who I am?" "Wan Tianming" let out a cold snort, and with a slight shrug of his shoulders, the six demon phantoms behind him all trembled.
"As far as I know, the only one who comprehends the Six Extremes True Devil Art — the foremost demonic cultivation technique in the Star Sea — and has cultivated it to such a level, is the legendary fellow daoist Six Paths. It seems you managed to survive by some miracle all those years ago. What I'm less certain about is whether you performed Body Seizing upon Wan Tianming's physical body, or simply transformed yourself to look like him. As for this refined corpse that bears such a striking resemblance to you — who is it? A clone you cultivated? Or did you actually refine your own original body into a demonic corpse?" Han Li spoke slowly, his composure fully restored.
"Heh heh, do you really need to know all these details when you're a dead man walking?" Six Paths Devil Sovereign let out a sinister laugh, then suddenly jerked his shoulders. Two of the six phantom shadows behind him shot forward like bolts, plunging into the two refined corpses standing before him.
The male and female corpses shuddered violently, their eyes snapping open in a lifeless stare — filled entirely with a ghastly green glow.
But the transformation was far from over. Arcane and abstruse incantations spilled from Six Paths Devil Sovereign's mouth, and the withered, shriveled bodies of the two corpses began belching grayish-white demonic qi that coiled around them like a shroud.
Piercing shrieks tore from the corpses' mouths as their forms swelled to monstrous proportions in an instant.
Within the span of a few breaths, amid groans of agony, each of them had transformed into a colossal demonic behemoth standing four or five zhang tall.
One had copper-coin-sized scales covering its body — jet-black and gleaming — with a pair of antelope-like horns atop its head and a long, verdant tail swaying lazily behind it. The other was covered head to toe in blood-red, grotesque bone spurs, while its hands and feet gleamed with a brilliant silver radiance, as though forged from solid silver. Atop its triangular, nightmarish skull sat four slender, green eyes that sent a chill racing down the spine of anyone who beheld them.
These two demons, now fully materialized after their transformation, were identical to the phantom shadows that had pierced into them — except what had been formless projections moments ago had now become flesh-and-blood demonic creatures. The sight was enough to leave anyone tongue-tied with shock.
After his initial surprise, Han Li's heart tightened.
"Heh heh, when the Six Extremes True Devil Art is cultivated to its absolute pinnacle, it can summon the true split consciousness of a Saint Devil to possess a host. In terms of cultivation and magical power, one would be capable of fighting even a Deity Transformation cultivator head-on. However, from ancient times until now, no one in the Human World has ever truly reached that supreme realm. But even without that, the two demons I've summoned to possess these bodies right now possess the power of late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators. In a three-on-one situation, does Fellow Daoist Han still believe he can keep his life?" Six Paths Devil Sovereign burst into wild laughter. With a flick of his spiritual sense, the two demonic behemoths that had been hovering motionlessly before him suddenly swayed and vanished from the spot without a trace.
Spatial fluctuations rippled into existence on either side of Han Li, barely a zhang away. The two demons materialized eerily from the void. The horned demon's serpentine tail lashed forward, sending a streak of green light hurtling toward Han Li's chest at lightning speed. The other demon, bristling with barbed bone spurs, crouched low and its body quivered — immediately, the surrounding air erupted with a deafening chorus of whistles.
Countless blood-colored bone spurs, each roughly a foot long, transformed into a skyful of crossbow bolts that screamed toward Han Li, blanketing him completely. At such close range and with such ferocious velocity, evasion was utterly impossible.
It seemed Six Paths Devil Sovereign had hatched a plan much like Han Li's own — aiming to end the fight in a single, devastating strike.
A flicker of smug satisfaction had already appeared on the old devil's face, confident that even if Han Li somehow survived this seamless combined assault, he would certainly not emerge unscathed.
But in the very next instant, the old devil's expression froze.
Just as the green light was about to pierce Han Li's chest and the blood spurs were about to riddle his body with holes, the azure-white wings behind Han Li's back fanned slightly, and a violent gale erupted.
Han Li's figure dissipated with the wind.
The green light and the blood spurs, stripped of their target, shot harmlessly into empty air.
Six Paths Devil Sovereign's heart lurched with alarm, his eyes blazing with sharp light as he frantically scanned the surroundings.
But before he could release his spiritual sense to thoroughly envelop the area, a flash of azure lightning crackled above the horned demon's head, and a figure materialized out of thin air.
It was Han Li, who had arrived in the blink of an eye using his teleportation ability.
Without a word, he raised one hand, and a green wooden ruler materialized in his grasp. With a gentle wave toward the demon below —
A silver lotus the size of a foot bloomed into existence beneath the demon's feet.
The lotus merely spun lazily, yet torrents of seven-colored Buddhist light surged forth from its core. The horned demon felt its entire body seize up as though locked in place — not a single muscle could move — and the demonic qi within its body solidified in an instant.
Meanwhile, Han Li's expression remained utterly impassive as he raised his other hand. A three-colored flame appeared in his palm, and though he had yet to make any overt move, a terrifying spiritual pressure was already radiating outward from within the flame.
The other demon on the side had finally spotted Han Li's position. Without any visible gesture, it merely let out a long, shrill howl, and the sky full of blood spurs whirled around before hurtling back toward Han Li at a speed even greater than before.
In the span of a single flash, the countless bone spurs were upon him, close enough to touch.
Yet Han Li showed not the slightest hint of panic. His gaze merely drifted casually toward the incoming projectiles.
Where there had been empty air moments before, a flash of silver erupted as a small silver shield materialized out of nowhere. With a gentle shake, the treasure expanded into a thick, luminous silver barrier that enveloped him completely.
In the next instant, the blood spurs struck the barrier with savage force.
Fist-sized bursts of bloody light detonated against the silver surface, and a rapid, staccato patter — like rain hammering against banana leaves — filled the air. The barrier rippled violently, then began to sway back and forth with increasing frenzy, showing clear signs of straining under the onslaught.